MEDIA RELEASE
April 19, 2007	Embargoed: 11.30 am (AEST)	39/2007
ABS snapshot of water and energy use in WA homes

Most of Western Australia's (WA) households depend on mains water, and many homes are air conditioned, according to a water and energy snapshot released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

As at October 2006, the majority (95%) of households in WA rely on mains water supply for their water needs, and of these 22% also have bore water and 9% have a rain water tank.

Nearly three-quarters (71%) of WA's homes have air conditioning, and most (89%) have heating.

Only about one in six households (15%) have a solar hot water system.

Nearly all Perth households have gardens and lawns (92%), and more than two-thirds (68%) of these used mulch on their garden in the previous year.

Over a third (36%) of Perth households recycle water into the garden, and most households in Perth (84%) use dual flush toilets.

Other findings from the survey include:

Energy use

• Almost a third (32%) of WA households use ducted evaporative cooling and a further quarter (25%) use reverse cycle split system air conditioning.
• Portable unflued gas heaters warmed just over a third (36%) of all WA households.
• More than half (56%) of WA households have a mains gas hot water system.

Water use

• The most common uses for rain water were for drinking (68%), watering the garden (43%) and food preparation (32%).
• More than a quarter (26%) of Perth households used bore water.
• Over a quarter (26%) of Perth households have a front loading washing machine.
• More than a third (38%) of Perth households have a dishwasher.

Further information is available in Domestic Use of Water and Energy, Western Australia, October 2006 (cat. no. 4652.5).